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To look into the alleged theft of N20 billion by employees of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited, NNPCL, the House of Representatives established an ad hoc committee yesterday.

The money was allegedly siphoned off by paying fictitious consultants.

The House resolution was discussed after Ibrahim Mohammed Kawu’s motion of urgent public significance was made in the plenary.

Remember that NNPCL denied the claim of missing N20 billion in a statement by its Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Garba Muhammad, claiming that it does not work with ghost consultants.

Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Banking and Currency Kawu, who is presenting the motion, claimed that NNPCL workers were suspected of diverting about N20 billion that was allegedly given to its consultants, Messers Safaya.

He said; “The said over twenty billion naira diverted by the staff of the NNPC is part of monies meant for payment of taxes to State Governments.

“If no action is taken by the parliament to nip this unwholesome practice in the bud, it will negatively affect the fortune of the nation as well as deprive State governments of access to revenue.

Following the adoption of the resolution, the speaker of the house, Femi Gbajabiamila, appointed Kingsley Chinda as the committee’s chair, along with six other members, to conduct an investigation and submit a report to the House for further legislative action within four weeks.

In related news, the House approved a motion introduced by Abdulkadir Rahis calling the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social

Olusegun Obasanjo, a former president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, has stated that the next administration must endeavor to promote national moral rearmament and reconciliation in the wake of the division brought on by the recently ended general elections.

According to him, this has the power to promote healing and calm Nigerian youth who were enraged by the flaws of the elections.

This was said by Obasanjo during his lecture at the conference “From Elections to Governance and Performance,” which was held in Abuja and was organized by Nextier and the Ibadan School of Governance and Public Affairs.

In order to save the country from its collapsing economy and massive national debt load, he continued, governance in Nigeria now required creative problem-solving. He also said that there needed to be political will and action, as well as administrative efforts, to reform the public service and transform it into a capability-ready unit.

Obasanjo stated that he would continue to express his concerns for the sake of the country since he was now “too old to be quiet” in view of the difficulties the country was facing.